A popular speaking toy which has enjoyed long lasting popularity is manufactured and marketed by Mattel, Inc. which is located in El Segundo, Calif. This product line under the trademark "See 'N Say" has been provided in various aesthetic themes through the years. The basic speaking toy provided utilizes a generally flat, approximately circular housing having a pivotally supported handle at the side of the housing. The housing further supports an outer ring divided into a plurality of segments, each of which bear a character or legend thereon. A multiple track phonograph record is rotatably supported within the housing and is coupled to a stylus and amplifying speaker cone for playing the selected one of the plural audio messages recorded on the record. The plurality of recorded tracks on the record are helically spiralled to permit playing of any recorded message by placement of the stylus at the starting point on the record. The housing further supports a rotatable pointer which is coupled to the stylus placement apparatus to allow the pointer position aligned with any of the character segments to select the corresponding message for play. In a later version of this product, the system is supplemented by a character face supported within the interior of the character segment ring which is mechanically coupled to the pivoting lever to cause articulation of facial elements during play.
Other similar products have been used for various speech exercise and training applications. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,383,114 issued to Ryan sets forth a TEACHING DEVICE having a generally circular housing supporting a rotating center pointer and an annular segmented outer ring having plural segments which each bear a letter and image associated therewith. Thus, for example, the segment labelled A has an apple image while the segment labelled B has a baseball bat and so on. A multiple track phonograph record mechanism is operated in accordance with the position of the pointer to articulate information related to the segment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,711,964 issued to Folson et al sets forth an ASK AND ANSWER TOY having a phonograph apparatus supported within a housing together with a pointer wheel which is rotatable to point to a plurality of picture images arranged about the pointer in a generally radial arrangement. A pull string mechanism is operative together with a speed governor to store energy in the spring of the pull speed mechanism as the string is pulled and utilize the spring force to rotate the phonograph record and play a given message.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,382,188 issued to Tomellini sets forth an AUDIO PLAYBACK DEVICE formed in the configuration of a conventional telephone. The device includes an image plate having a plurality of images thereon and an integrated circuit assembly having a memory which is preprogrammed with a plurality of sound tracks corresponding to the image. The circuit assembly further includes an output unit for outputting sound tracks in a switch assembly for actuating the output. A rotatable selector controls the selection of messages by pointing to a corresponding image.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,871,112 issued to Licitis sets forth a COORDINATED VISUAL AND AUDIO REPRODUCING APPARATUS which provides a story telling toy device providing for selection of a number of recorded message segments to be played in a plurality of different combinations. Each message segment is attributable to a particular visual image in a series of visual images.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,831 issued to Watanabe sets forth a TOY RECORD PLAYER having a record turntable for receiving a record having a plurality of selectable tracks.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,404 issued to Watanabe sets forth a VARIETY PLAYING SOUND REPRODUCING DEVICE having a rotatable turntable driven by a constant torque spring and motor combination.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,510,590 issued to Girton et al sets forth a PULL STRING INERTIAL VOICE UNIT having a spring powered pull string wound source of rotational energy coupled to a record bearing turntable. A stylus is movable within the unit to facilitate tracking the recorded sound grooves in the record as the spring energy rotates the turntable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,012 issued to Koike et al sets forth a SOUND REPRODUCING DEVICE FOR PLAYING A RECORD DISK HAVING A PLURALITY OF RECORDED GROOVES which utilizes a rotatable disk operative under spring power to rotate while a stylus is positioned in engagement with a multiple track record. A pointer is rotatable upon the unit and is operative to select from among the various tracks and messages by positioning the stylus over the lead in for the selected track.
U.S. Pat. No. DES. 359,521 issued to Kino and U.S. Pat. No. DES. 320,419 issued to Wohl set forth aesthetic designs for speaking type toys.
While the foregoing described prior art devices have improved the art, and in some instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore improved, amusing, and effective speaking toys.